Blog 2 - Metropolitan police accused of racism

Metropolitan police accused of racism against off-duty firefighter

Scotland Yard, the official police watchdogs, has been accused of racism for the 10^th time in three weeks. An off-duty firefighter, Edric Kennedy-Macfoy aged 28, was driving through Harrow where he saw a young man throwing rocks at a police van. After noting a description of the young man, Kennedy-Macfoy approached officers to pass on the noted information but instead of listening to him, they beat him up. Kennedy-Macfoy on the matter: “the officers behaved like ‘wild animals’”: they were swearing at him, dragged him from his car and shot him with a stun gun. Kennedy-Macfoy recalled the officers telling the people who were filming the scene with their mobile phones to "Turn those fucking cameras off."

First things first: policemen like these should receive capital punishment. How can people, who are installed as the ‘protectors of the people’, do such things to the people they serve to protect (and pay their salaries). From personal experience I know that these things happen more often than one would like to believe. I know there are good policemen, without a doubt, but people like this should not just be fired; they should be locked up behind bars for a long time. As for the firefighter: he, and a lot of people near him such as friends and family, has lost his fate in the police. Well played officers, well played.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/19/metropolitan-police-accused-racism-firefighter

Blog 1 - Battle for the Internet

Battle for the Internet - Online identity: is authenticity or anonymity more important?

The days of anonymity on the internet are coming to a close. According to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, people on the internet want to interact with people with ‘authentic’ identity. This means they want to know who they are talking to, thus banning anonymity. Facebook and Google require knowing a person’s identity (name, age, location etc.) before they can register. Richard Allan, Facebook’s director of policy in the United Kingdom, on their purchase of Instagram: “Immigration officials will ask to see a photo album to see if a relationship is genuine. It's a very instinctive and powerful way to confirm authentic identity." However, 4Chan and Thor prefer people being anonymous.

Personally, I think that the way it is now, is not as it should be. Massive corporations have your details without you knowing. I like the fact that you know who’s behind the PC while being on Facebook or any other social media, but what is really is important is one’s personal freedom. I cannot be satisfied with other people having my confidential information without me knowing it, thus I say that anonymity on the internet is more important than authenticity. I am not happy that a corporation of thousands of people has a big part of my credentials. Are you?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/19/online-identity-authenticity-anonymity